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Posted on: November 3, 2017

City Needs Your Input

The City of Huntsville is seeking your assistance in writing their new Hazard Mitigation Plan. City Emergency Management Coordinator John Waldo said that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) requires updates on a five-year schedule. However, when the City’s plan expired this time, in October 2017, staff felt it would be advantageous to ensure the complete plan was appropriate for Huntsville. Previously, the city was covered under the Houston-Galveston Area Council’s (H-GAC) regional plan, encompassing a 13-county area. FEMA would no longer allow regional plans, going forward, so this is an appropriate time to safeguard our community without being lost in a larger planning document. Dr. Sherry McKibben, Director of Neighborhood Resources, is anticipating receiving the public’s feedback.

“We encourage city residents to help identify the most important risks to our city,” McKibben said. “Citizen participation is imperative to receive their distinct perspective on hazards and planning for the future of Huntsville. Citizens often have a unique view at a property-by-property level.”

Halff Associates of Conroe is a consultant assisting with the City’s planning efforts. The plan is being funded in part by the Texas Department of Emergency Management (TxDEM)/(FEMA) Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant Program and will undergo review by those agencies. The plan maintains Huntsville’s eligibility for hazard mitigation project grant funding in the future.

To assist by taking a survey, go to http://ow.ly/X60h30gkRbC. The link will be posted in on the City’s social media platforms and on the website at http://huntsvilletx.gov/154/Neighborhood-Resources.

The survey will be open November 8 through December 6, 2017. A computer is also available at the Huntsville Public Library for those without internet service. Printed copies, assistance to the visually impaired, or translation service in Spanish may be arranged by contacting McKibben at 936-291-5428 or smkibben@HuntsvilleTX.gov.

A public meeting to discuss action items resulting from this survey will be held in January 2018. More information will be available on the City website at https://www.HuntsvilleTX.gov.